Defense

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Australia’s Navy is doubling down on unmanned systems as it adopts platforms like the Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel and Ghost Shark and Speartooth extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles. The Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel – or USV for short – produced by Ocius Technology, is powered primarily by wind, wave and sun to give persistent, at-sea…

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Australian military officials have been furtive about how they will use Anduril-developed Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles – or XLAUVs. However, they recently lifted the lid on some payloads the Royal Australian Navy is fielding. In an official unveiling at Anduril Australia’s manufacturing center in Sydney on Oct. 19, three Ghost Shark…

MAILLY-LE-CAMP, France — Corporal Igor started a new job this year, swapping the sights of a 105 mm gun on the French Army’s AMX 10 RC reconnaissance vehicle for first-person view goggles and a handheld controller. The 21-year-old is now a strike pilot in France’s first dedicated drone-combat squadron, crouching in nettles and tall grass as he guided an FPV drone down a forest path at the…

Pentagon officials have in recent weeks asked several NATO countries to tone down their rhetoric regarding the threat posed by Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders and officials have undermined continental security, four people familiar with the matter said. Among the nations that have received messages urging them to keep public statements in check are Lithuania, Latvia and…